On Wednesday morning, Telstra CEO David Thodey did what Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk have so far refused to do. He publicly condemned the comments and sought to distance himself from Mr Di Bella.

"Disappointing and inappropriate comments from Telstra Bus Award winner in Qld, not consistent with our values and we don't support," Mr Thodey posted on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

Advertisement

Late Wednesday, Telstra issued a statement confirming the decision to "withdraw'' the award bestowed on the coffee businessman.

“We are extremely disappointed by Mr Di Bella’s comments. They do not reflect Telstra’s values nor those of the Telstra Business Awards and were completely inappropriate,'' Telstra said in the statement.

“While we note that Mr Di Bella has apologised for the comments, we believe in creating and promoting a culture of inclusion and respect and we expect our award winners, as role models and leaders in the business community, to uphold these values.

“Regrettably, as a result we have spoken with Mr Di Bella and informed him of our decision to withdraw the award.''

His foul-mouthed State of Origin tirade was the latest in a long history of often unsavoury Twitter and Facebook postings he has made over a number of years, many of which could be deemed anti-gay.

Others have targeted welfare recipients and foreign aid.

His highly publicised tweets during last Wednesday's game came just hours after Cr Quirk announced he would take on the key advisory role of chairman of the new Brisbane CBD economic development board.

When Fairfax Media contacted Mr Di Bella for comment on Thursday following Opposition Leader Milton Dick's call for him to be dumped from the role, he spruiked the Telstra award as proving he was well-credentialled for the job.

“Look love, you can write whatever story you want because I’m happy for them to question it,” he said.

“Research my resume, I started Di Bella Coffee with $5000 and just won Telstra business of the year.

“If I’m not suitable for it, tell me who is.”

Cr Quirk also pointed to the award as proving his suitability for the economic advisory role.

Despite his social media comments, neither Cr Quirk or Mr Newman sought to distance themselves from the businessman on Friday.

The long-time LNP donor holds a number of influential advisory positions to both the State Government and Brisbane City Council.

In May 2013, he was appointed by Mr Newman to the Premier's Advisory Board.

It came the year after he was appointed a director of the government-run Queensland Tourism and Events, the marketing body designed to sell the Sunshine State to the world.

That year, 2012, Mr Di Bella donated more than $18,000 to the LNP.

At Brisbane City Council level, he is currently chairman of the Queen Street Mall advisory board, to which Mr Newman also appointed him when he was Brisbane's Lord Mayor.

He is also a director of Brisbane Marketing, a promotional entity designed to fuel economic growth and attract tourists to the river city.

This year, he was named the Lord Mayor's Corporate Citizen of the Year at the 2014 Australia Day awards.

48 comments so far

If swearing at football refs and commentators diminishes someones business achievements then I fear a lot of us are in trouble.

Why this expectation that in order to be awarded for your work in one field of endeavour, you are expected to have flawless character in all other, completely unrelated, parts of your life.

How exactly does swearing at a footy ref via Twitter diminish Phil Di Bella's business achievements? To be honest it smells of the American style puritanism slowly invading Australian culture.

Nobody's perfect, we're all a mix of good and bad. Get over it and give people credit for the good they do.

In the meantime, I'd advise anyone thinking of applying for any sort of public recognition to go through your social media postings and click on the little bin icon liberally.

Commenter

Michael

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 2:23PM

Well said.

Commenter

Matt

Location

Toowoomba

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 3:31PM

hear hear!!

Commenter

LB

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 3:35PM

Michael, I don't think it was for swearing at the refs and commentators per se although the dominant theme would probably interest a psychologist. I think it had more to do with thinking it was a good idea to share it via the wider world via Twitter. What business achievements would they be ? Creating a middling manufacturing firm in a market on the rise ? Throw a rock, you'll hit hundreds if not thousands. Take a look beneath the self promotional hype and all you have is another LNP donor on the make.

Commenter

davros

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 4:03PM

there's no need to put the silly things we shout at our tellies on the internet - it's a deliberate act, to make it publicly his opinion, and he has to take the flak that comes with it.

If he had yelled at his tv and posted "FCK OFF REFS!" nobody would care really - but throwing out garbage like oh I be the commentators fck each other and enjoy it ??? a lot of people in business wouldn't want to be associated with that, would you?He doesn't seem to care that anybody cares, so I defend him simply: say that at your tv, don't put everything online, learn from this, or not do what you like

Commenter

Raida

Location

chewing salty razors

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 4:03PM

This is a very guileless comment. Awards are in many ways like sponsorship, they reflect the values of the business awarding them. Does Telstra want to be associated with the values put on public display by Di Bella? Would any business?? If there isn't already a call for Telstra customers to boycott them, as a result of this it is probably coming. Whatever you personally think Michael, a business has to reflect the core values of the majority of its customers. That's just good business sense which -in the end -Mr DiBella hasn't shown. If you want a good national profile for your business, you can't afford to put on public display bogan values which the majority of forward- thinking Australians would find offensive. Di Bella might have business acumen, but he hasn't been smart.

Commenter

Chris R

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 4:20PM

Michael...... I doubt you are important enough to have an opinion that can help Di Bella out of this mess, by supporting him your only drawing attention to his persona and alienating him further. See youz on bogan hunters soonest, eh bruz!

Commenter

Stevo the dilf

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 4:27PM

If he is being held out as an ambassador then yes, I want him to have flawless and impeccable credentials. He can swear at and vilify anybody when he has no public role to fill.

Commenter

You

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 5:10PM

Davros, the comments would not interest a psychologist, they get tired of this sort of rant from bigot and trying to work out why this still happens in 2014. Lucky Phil is not Tony Soprano and his outrageous homophobic rants more than likely upset quite a few in the Tesltra hierarchy. Remember, it is OK to say what you like as a bigot, but, you do have tyo take ownership of what you say. So, when the laws are changed, Lucky Phil can line up with Andrew Bolt to receive redemption.

Commenter

Not so Bella

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 25, 2014, 5:14PM

Have you read Mr Di Bella's tweets? What kind of business role model uses that language?

Hodson's daughter: Witness protection not safe

"I feel sorry for anyone coming into witness protection," says the tearful daughter of police informer Terence Hodson after the State Coroner delivered an open finding into his murder and that of his wife Christine in 2004.